History Of Mallorca

Mallorca is an island with a long and interesting history and even though the island has experienced mass development in the name of tourism, its inhabitants still retain a distinct pride in their heritage.   The preservation of the island’s history through artefacts and monuments is a high priority for the people living there.

Early invaders and occupiers

While settlers including Greeks, Phoenician’s and Romans are believed to have arrived around the 1st century AD, it wasn’t until the arrival of the Moors in the 10th century that the island saw anybody take a significant stronghold upon it. For 300 years these fierce warriors kept a somewhat unstable level of control, as battles raged constantly between the occupying Muslims and invading Christians.

Catalan rule

The 13th century saw the arrival of King Jaume I of Aragon and Catalunya, who invaded the island, destroying all that the Moors had established and consequently establishing the independent Kingdom of Mallorca. Jaume was a just and fair ruler, offering plenty of assistance to travellers and to those using the region for trade. Following his death, control was passed on to his son Jaume II, but power was quickly relinquished to Pedro IV of Aragon in 1349.

The Napoleonic wars

In more recent centuries, the island was the scene of yet more conflict and troubled times. The Napoleonic Wars saw the city of Palma fight fiercely against the yoke of Napoleon in 1808, while the remainder of the century saw famines and droughts take their toll on the island’s inhabitants. However, the development of the agricultural infrastructure and the new rail network brought a renewed sense of hope to the people and a distinct revival of the Catalan culture that had previously been significantly threatened.

Twentieth century prosperity

The 20th century was the beginning of the island’s development ,as a mass tourist destination, as air travel became increasingly available. From the 1950's onwards, growth has been exponential and the island’s popularity as a holiday centre has risen accordingly. Currently, Mallorca receives about 10 million tourists per annum and a large number of its residents are expatriates.